Wednesday, July 27, 2011

It was called 'the bouffant, the up-do & the B52', but the beehive that originated in Chicago in 1960 was the true definition of the 'big hair' fad that caught on like wild fire and gained world wide appeal. The overly back combed, overly aqua netted style, was named the 'beehive' because it actually looks like a hive, or a nest of some sorts. It's been said that part of the allure of the style is that it added the illusion of height to the wearer. I know the history of the hive first hand as my mother who grew up in that era told me she sported the style when she was 16. She said..."The higher the hive, the cooler you were considered to be". The first girl group to get on board with this style was 'The Ronettes' but the trend lasted through to the late 70's with the emergence of the pop culture iconic group 'The B52's', as band members Kate Pierson & Cindy Wilson rocked their own retro version of the boof.

Well into the 80's it continued to trail blaze & continued to be re-popularized, especially after the cult John Waters film, 'Hair Spray' starring drag queen Divine & Ricky Lake was released, & over dramatized the 'do' to the hilt! & it made it's way back again with a re do of the popular movie from the same script starring John Travolta in drag & newcomer Nikki Blonsky in 2007.

In 2006, Amy Whinehouse stepped on the music scene with her signature style which was soon to be emulated by her female followers. Her hair was what she was known for aside from her amazing other worldly vocal abilities. It was stated that her poof measured close to a half of a foot high! In her whole career regardless of her state of being, you never saw her minus the hair-do. She was quoted as saying ... "My hair is always on point, even if the rest of me is really naff."

This vintage hairstyle just seems to keep evolving but has definitely come along way from it's beginnings when it was originally created by Margaret Vinci Heldt, winner of the 1954 National Coiffure Championship.

This variation of the style won an award at a British hairstyling competition in 2010 which is sheer proof that in years to come we're just going to keep seeing the style moving into new and exciting directions!